Multicolor printing press



Jan 16, 1951 Filed Aug. 18, 1947 L. W. CLAYBOURN ET AL MULTICOLORPRINTING PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Owe, .c&. 4 m. BY PMQ R- M 1QMMQM IWMJJ ATTORNEYS Jan, 16, 1951 L. w. CLAYBOURN ET AL 2,538,353

. MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 18, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l Hqllh. H M j; 5

ATTORNEYS Jan. 16, 1951 L. w. CLAYBOURN ET AL 2,5 8,3 3

MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS Filed Aug. 18, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEVS Jan. 16, 1951 L. w. CLAYBOURN ET AL 2,538,353

MULTICOL'OR PRINTING PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 18, 1947 VENTORSfffgh ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 16, 1951 and Paul R. Franzen, Chicago,111., assignors to L. W. Claybourn, Inc., Chicago, Ill-.,. a corporationof Illinois Application August is, 1947-, Serial No. 769,174

4 Claims.

The invention relates to multi-color printing presses and moreparticularly to the impression cylinder and the meansfor supplying asignature or sheet thereto and removing it therefrom after a pluralityof revolutions of said cylinder.

The object of the invention is to provide a sheet feed cylinder and adelivery cylinder arranged in juxtaposition relative to the impressioncylinder all of said cylinders being rotated at the same speed and eachequipped with sheet gripping mechanism, said gripping mechanism being socontrolled that" the impression cylinder makes a plurality ofrevolutions before a new sheet is delivered to it by the feeding incylinder and the printed sheet is delivered to the delivery .1

cylinder whereby a plurality of color printings from a plurality ofplates movable beneath. the impression cylinder and in printing registrytherewith are imparted to the sheet. More particularly, according to theinvention, the impression cylinder makes five revolutions between thetime it receives the sheet to be printed from the feeding in cylinderand its delivery to the delivery cylinder, so thatnve different colorsmay be printed onsaid-t sheet.

features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claimsat the conclusion hereof. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a multi-co'lor printing pressembodying the invention;

. Fig. 2 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken the line 'z r ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed horizontal sectional View taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1';

Fig. 4. is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the ine 4-4 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5'- is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 ofFig. 2; r

'7 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line f -1 of Fig.2;

Fig. 3 is a detaile vertical sectional view taken on the line 8"-8 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view showing the gripper controlmechanism for the delivery cylinder inone position;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing the gripper controlmechanism for the delivery cyl inder in another position;

Fig. 11 is a series of diagrammatic views to illustrate the action ofthe gripper mechanisms durmga complete cycle of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1- shows a general layout of themulti-color printing press embodying the invention, said press includinga sheet feeding in cylinder l2, an impression cylinder I3, and adelivery cylinder M, the feed of the sheet to the cylinder l2 not beingshown. The plate feed mechanism designated generally by the numeral :5and more particularly shown and described in a copending applicationSerial No. 762,960, filed July 23, 1947 (now abandoned), moves theprinting plates l6 successively under a series of inkers i1 whoseoperations are so timed that each plate receives its desired color ofink and is thereafter "carried under the im pression cylinder 13 todeposit its inked portion on the sheet mounted on said cylinder, thepress shown being a five color press and having a sheet receivingcompartment 18.

The cylinders l2, l3, and I4 are all driven at the same speed throughgearing connections with a motor driven drive shaft l9. As shown in Fig,4, the shaft l9 carries a gear 2|] meshing with an idler gear 2| whichis connected through an idler gear 22 with a gear 23 on a shaft 24carrying the impression cylinder l3, the idler gear 22 being Theinvention further consists in the several connected by an idler gear 25to a gear 26 on the shaft 2'! carrying the feeding in cylinder l2whereby the cylinders i2 and [3 are driven at a a one to one ratio withthe drive shaft IS. The

de ivery cylinder l4 carries gears 28 meshing with gears 29 on theimpression cylinder, so that the cylinder :4 is driven at a one to oneratio with the drive shaft IS. The gear 20 is connected by intermeshingidler gears an to a gear 3| on a shaft 32 for driving the plate feedmechanism.

The cylinder l2 carries a sh et grip er mecha-- nism compris ng a,series of gri ers 33 arran ed in spaced relation unon an oscillatory saft 34 -(see Fi s. 2, 3. and 7) which extends out beyond the cylinder l2through a plate secured to said cylinder. said rip ers being normallvurged to a gripping position bv a spring 35 acting on a crank arm 36secured to said shaft. The shaft 34 carries a, segmental gear 31 mes ingwith a segmental gear 3B free to turn on the shaft 2'! which gear 38meshes with one of a pair of idler' gears 39 on a shaft 353' journalledin the late 40, the other gear 39 meshing with a se mental gear 4|rotatably mounted on a shaft 42 carried by said plate, the hub of saidgear 4| being connected to a crank arm 43 which carries a roller 44 thatworks in camtracks 45 and 46 in a stationary cam 41 mounted on a bracket41' (see M Figs. 2 and 6). The roller is shifted from onecam track tothe other by a finger 48 secured to a shaft 49 pivotally mounted in thecam 41 and carrying a crank arm 58 which is operated by a lengthwiseadjustable link 5| operatively connected to an arm 52 of a bell cranklever pivotally mounted on a shaft 53 carried by a fixed bracket 54 andhaving an arm 55 carrying a roller 55 Working in a camgroove 51. Thelengthwise adjustment of the link 5| is provided by a yoked end pivotmember 58 adapted to be adiustably clamped to one end of said link bynuts 59 engaging the threaded end of said link.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 8, the cam groove 51 is formed in one side of aplate 68 journalled on the shaft 6| carrying the delivery cylinder andcam groove 92 on its opposite side of the same form as the groove 51 butdisplaced one hundred and eighty degrees relative thereto in which aroller 63 on one arm of a bell crank lever 64 works. The lever 84 ispivotally mounted on a shaft 85 carried by a fixed bracket 66, the otherarm of said lever being connected by a pin 61 to a yoke member 68lengthwise adjustably clamped by nuts 69 to a link rod 18 whose otherend is operatively connected by a pin H to one arm of a bell crank lever12 secured to a shaft 13 rotatably mounted in the frame part 14 of themachine and whose other arm is operatively connected by a link 15 with acrank 18 secured to a shaft 11 also rotatably mounted in the frame 14.The shafts 13 and 11 have eccentrically disposed crank pins 18journalled in the ends of a cam member 19 upon which a roller 88 on anarm 8| secured to an oscillatory gripper shaft 82, mounted on theimpression carrying cylinder and spaced grippers 83, rides during aportion of the revolution of the impression cylinder. The roller 88 isyieldingly urged into engagement with the cam 19 by a spring-84 actingon a crank arm 35 secured to shaft 82. The spring 84 acts to hold thegrippers 83 engaged with the sheet on the impression cylinder untilreleased by the cam 19 at-the end of the fifth revolution of thecylinder I3 and just before the sheet is taken off by the spacedgrippers 86 carried by an oscillatory shaft 81 mounted on the deliverycylinder.

Referring to Figs. 6, 9, and 10, the shaft 81 carries a crank arm 88provided with a roller 89 working on a cam 98 fixed to the machineframe, said roller 89 being yieldingly urged against said cam by aspring 9| acting on a crank 92 secured to the shaft 81. The cam 98 has aportion 93 which holds the grippers 86 in open position and a portion 94which permits the spring 8! to move the shaft 81 to close the grippers.Also associat d with the cam 98 is a lever or shiftable cam extensionfor said cam 95 whose side 96 forms a cam surface which at certain timesacts as a continuation of the portion 93, said lever being mounted on ashaft 91 journalled in the cam 98 and carrying a crank arm 98 which isoperatively connected to the link rod 18 by an adjustable link rod 99.

In. each. instance the gripper closing springs above referred tosurround a pair of telescoping rods I88 and I8I, mostclearly shown inFigs. 8 to inclusive.

The cam member 68 isrotated at a ratio of one to five relative to thecylinders I2, I3 and I4, said cam having a large gear. I92 securedthereto which meshes with a small gear I83 on a stud shaft I84 securedto the frame of the machine, said gear I83 being integral with a gearI85 which is driven through gearing connections with the shaft SI of thedelivery cylinder, as shown. 1

4 Fig. 3, comprising a transmission shaft I88 carrying at one end a gearI81 meshing with the gear I85 and at the other end a gear I88 meshingwith a gear I89 on the shaft 6|. Parts of the one to five ratio gearingabove described are also shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

From the above description it will be noted that each of the cylindersI2, I3 and I4-is provided with gripper mechanism respectively operatedby relatively fixed cams for the cylinders I2 and I4 and a laterallymovable cam for the cylinder I3 and that the shifting of the lever 58controlling cam track shifter finger 48 for the feeding in cylinder I2,the shifting of the cam 19 for the impression cylinder i3, and theshifting of the cam member 95 are controlled by the cam member 58 whichmakes one revolution to five revolutions of the cylinders I2, I3, and I4and carries the cams 51 and 62, the cam 51 controlling the finger 48 andthe cam 82 controlling the cam 19 and the cam extension 86.

Referring now to Figs. 6 to 10 and 11, the cylinder I2 makes four andone-half revolutions while the roller 44 is moving in the cam track 46and the finger 48 is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6, thenthe cam 51 acts through the lever 52, link 4| and arm 58 to swing thefinger 48 to its full line position, so'that the roller 44 is shifted tothe outer cam track 45, and while said cylinder is making about aonehalf revolution, the grippers 33 are engaging the sheet S andcarrying it from the position shown at A to the position B where saidgrippers 33 are released. The cam 19 is in the outer position for aboutone revolution to engage the roller 88 and. move it with the lever BIand shaft 82 against the pressure of the spring 84 to swing the grippers83 to an open position to receive the sheet S when released by thegrippers 33 on the feeding in cylinder. As the roller. 88 drops off thecam 19, said cam is retracted by motion imparted from the cam groove 92,lever 64, links 88 and 18, levers 12 and 19, and'parallel link 15to'turn the pins or crank members 18, thus permitting the grippers '83to close on the-sheet to carryit around on the impression cylinder asshown in. views C and D. The movement of the cam 19 outwardly to agripper release position takes place on the fourth revolution of theimpression cylinder just after the gripper roller has passed thetrailing edge of the cam 19 which then remains in its outward positionuntil on the fifth revolution said roller 88 has passed over it afterwhich it is retracted. During the fifth revolution with the grippers 83released the grippers 88 of the delivery cylinder on the retraction ofthe cam surface 96 are permitted to engage the forward end of the sheetas shown'in view E and carry it onto the delivery cylinder as shown inview F from which it is removed by the delivery mechanism, not shown.The cam 19 must be in the outer position before the roller 88 engages itto release the sheet S, so that it may be transferred to the deliverycylinder I4 by the grippers 89. During the fifth revolution of theimpression cylinder while the transfer of the printed sheet is takingplace, a new sheet S is picked up by the feed in cylinder as shown inview E, and as the cam 19 is again moved inwardly, the grippers 83 closeon this sheet, as shown in view F, to transfer it from said feed incylinder I2 to the impression cylinder 13.

I Thus while all the cylinders I2, I3, and I4 rotate at the same speed,the impression cylinder makes five revolutions to permit the printingabs-date 5, of five colors on the same sheet by the printing plates 16before this sheet is removed by-the gripper mechanism of the deliverycylinder and a new sheet is received from the feeding in cylinder.-

It will be noted that the gripper mechanism for the impression cylinderI3 is closed at all times except when the cam 19 is moved radiallyoutwardly to contact the roller 80 so as to open the grippers 83 toreceive the sheet, as shown in views B, C, and F, and release it asshown in View E, and that grippers 86 of the delivery cylinder closeevery time this cylinder revolves but close past the point of take offfor four revolutions relative to the cam 90 but that on the fifthrevolution the lever cam 95 is swung inwardly as shown in Fig. 9, sothat the grippers will close on the sheet as shown in view E to take itoff of the impression cylinder.

It is to be noted that the cam 19 when moved radially outwardly opensthe gripper mechanism of the impression cylinder to permit transfer ofthe printed sheet to the delivery cylinder as shown in view E and keepsthe grippers open until said impression cylinder moves to a position toreceive a new sheet from the feeding in cylinder as shown in view F.

We desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limitedto any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as suchlimitations are included in the claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a multi-color printing press, the combination of an impressioncylinder, a feeding in cylinder and a delivery cylinder arranged injuxtaposition, means for rotating all of said cylinders at the samespeed, releaseable sheet gripping mechanism for each of said cylinders,fixed cams for controlling the opening and closing of said grippermechanisms for said feeding in cylinder and said delivery cylinder, amovable cam for controlling the opening and closing of the grippermechanism of the impressio cylinder, a rotatable cam member, means forrotating said cam member at a slower speed than said cylinders so thatsaid cylinders make a plurality of revolutions to one revolution of saidcam member, a shiftable member associated with the fixed cam for thefeeding in cylinder, a shiftable cam mem ber associated. with the fixedcam for said delivery cylinder, and means operatively connecting saidcam member with said shiftable member, said shiftable cam member, andsaid movable cam whereby the sheet to be printed is received by theimpression cylinder from the feeding in cylinder and carried upon saidimpression cylinder for a plurality of revolutions to permit printing ofa plurality of colors thereon before being removed by the grippermechanism of the delivery cylinder.

2. In a multi-color printing press, the combination of an impressioncylinder, a feeding in cylinder and a delivery cylinder arranged injuxtaposition, means for rotating all of said cylinders at the samespeed, releaseable sheet gripping mechanism for each of said cylinders,a fixed double track cam for controlling the opening and closing of thegripper mechanism for the feeding in cylinder, a shiftable member fordetermining which cam track is effective to control said grippermechanism, a rotatable cam member, means for rotating said cam member ata slower speed than said cylinders so that said cylinders makeaplurality of revolutions to one revolution of said cam member, meansoperatively connecting said cam member with said shiftable cam member totime its operation, and means for controlling the gripper mechanisms ofsaid impression and delivery cylinders in cyclic s'ynclironi'sm withthat of said feeding cylinder whereby the sheet to be printed isreceived by the impression cylinder from the feeding in cylinder andcarried upon said cylinder for a plurality of revolutions to permitprinting of a plurality of colors thereon before being removed by thegripper mechanism of the delivery cylinder.

3. In a multi-color printing press, the combination of an impressioncylinder, a feeding in cylinder and a delivery cylinder arranged injuxtaposition, means for rotating all of said cylinders at the samespeed, releaseable sheet gripping mechanism for each of said cylinders,a fixed double track cam for controlling the opening and closing of thegripper mechanism for the feeding in cylinder, a shiftable finger fordetermining which cam track is effective to control said grippermechanism, a rotatable cam member, means for rotating said cam member ata slower speed than said cylinders so that said cylinders make aplurality of revolutions to one of said cam members, a movable cam forcontrolling the gripper mechanism, for the impression cylinder, a fixedcam for controlling the opening and closing of the gripper mechanism ofthe delivery cylinder, a shiftable cam member associated with said lastnamed fixed cam to open the gripper mechanism of said delivery cylinderfor effecting the transfer of the printed sheet from the impressioncylinder to the delivery cylinder, and means operatively connecting saidrotatable cam member with said finger, said movable cam, and saidshiftable cam member whereby the sheet to be printed is received by theimpression cylinder from the feeding in cylinder and carried upon saidimpression cylinder for a plurality of revolutions to permit printing ofa plurality of colors thereon before being removed by the grippermechanism of the delivery cylinder.

4. In a multi-color printing press, the combination of an impressioncylinder, a feeding in cylinder, and a delivery cylinder arranged injuxtaposition, means for rotating all of said cylinders at the samespeed, releaseable sheet gripping mechanism for each of said cylinders,a fixed double track cam for controlling the opening and closing of thegripper mechanism for the feeding in cylinder, a shiftable finger fordetermining which cam track is efiective to control said grippermechanism, a movable cam member for controlling the gripper mechanismfor the impression cylinder, a fixed cam for controlling the opening andclosing of the vgripper mechanism of the delivery cylinder, a shiftablecam member associated with said last named fixed cam to open the grippermechanism of said delivery cylinder for eifecting the transfer of theprinted sheet from the impression cylinder to the delivery cylinder, apair of oppositely disposed cams, means for rotating said cams at aslower speed than said cylinders so that said cylinders make a plurality of revolutions to one revolution of said cams, means operativelyconnecting one of said pair of cams to said finger to operate the same,and means for operativelyconnecting the other of said pair of cams tosaid movable cam member for the impression cylinder and said shiftablecam member for the delivery cylinder to operate the same whereby thesheet to be printed is received by the impression cylinder from thefeeding i cylinder and carried upon said impression cylinder for aplurality of revolutions to permit printing of a, plurality of colorsthereon before being removed by the gripper mechanism of the deliverycylinder.

LESLIE W. CLAYBOURN.

CARLTON CLAYTON CLAYBOURN.

PAUL R. FRANZEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 fileof this patent:

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